title: Quantifying transient psychological stress using a novel technique: changes to PMA-induced leukocyte production of ROS in vitro.
abstract: Although much work has been conducted to quantify the long-term physiological effects of psychological stress, measures of short-term, low-level stress have been more elusive. This study assessed the effect of exposure of volunteers to a mild, brief, psychologically stressful event, on the functional ability of leukocytes in whole blood to respond to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) in vitro. Volunteers operated a car electric window and adjusted it to 4 pre-determined positions. Between each operation the mechanism's polarity was covertly altered (group B) or remained unaltered (group A). For each treatment group 10 different subjects provided capillary blood samples pre- and post-stressor. Using a chemiluminescent technique termed leukocyte coping capacity, the ability of leukocytes to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro was assessed. ROS release differed significantly at 10 min post-stressor between treatment groups, suggesting exposure to acute psychological stress leads to a reduced ability to respond to bacterial challenge.
authors.affiliation: Coventry University, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Graham K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Shelton-Rayner
authors.forename: Rubina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mian
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.forename: Duncan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Macdonald
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001336:Automobiles; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000097:blood*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C016658:phorbolol myristate acetate; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate